Many surgical procedures call for the precise and accurate reaming of bone material. For example, during a total hip arthroplasty, the diameter of the femoral canal must be widened in order to be capable of receiving a femoral stem. In the total hip procedure, a reamer can approximate a portion of the femoral implant geometry and can impart this shape on the femoral canal. Both of these functions are required in order to provide a satisfactory interface between the femoral hip implant and the remaining bone.
Typically, an orthopedic reamer, or set of reamers of varying diameters and lengths, is utilized to increase the diameter of the canal in a bone. This is generally done on long bones within the body, but can be done on any bone suitable for the reaming process. Normally, the canal is progressively reamed in 1 or 2 mm increments until the desired diameter is reached. Examples of reamers of this type are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,168,599 to Frieze et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 6,162,226 to DeCarlo, Jr., et al.
While orthopedic reamers such as those described above are capable of creating or increasing the diameter of canals in a bone, they have their shortcomings. Most importantly, the manufacturing costs associated with orthopedic reamers have traditionally been high. A standard reamer is typically constructed of a metallic or other hard material machined from a solid block or rod or from several solid pieces that are assembled to form the reamer. These high costs have required such reamers to be utilized in multiple procedures. This re-use requires the cleaning and sterilization of such a reamer before each use, which adds significant additional costs. Improper cleaning and sterilization can lead to disease transmission. Furthermore, multiple uses of a reamer create the greater probability of failure due to fatigue and/or poor cutting due to wear of the cutting surfaces of the reamer. Hence, a disposable single use orthopedic reamer would be advantageous.
For the foregoing reasons, there is a need for a reamer that can be inexpensively manufactured and suitable for single use, while maintaining the required precise and accurate dimensions needed for reaming a bone.